Chirag Paswan collapses after lighting father's funeral pyre

Patna : Obviously, Saturday was a fraught day for Chirag Paswan. Finally he collapsed after lighting his father's funeral pyre.

Soon after the last rites of Vilas Paswan here the Janardan Ghat on the banks of Ganga in Patna's Digha neighbourhood, Chirag Paswan fainted. People around him helped him onto the ground, a video that surfaced soon afterwards shows.

Veteran politician and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan passed away at a Delhi hospital on Thursday.

Chirag Paswan, accompanied by his mother and other relatives, lighted his father's funeral pyre.

People across all social sections, even from remoter corners of the state, attended the the popular Dalit leader' funeral, raising slogans like "Dharti Gunje Asman, Ram Vilas Paswan" and "Ram Vilas Paswan Amar Rahe" during the procession from the Paswan residence in Sri Krishnapuri to the Janardan Ghat.

Mortal remains of Paswan was brought in Patna at around 7.55 p.m. on Friday. Top leaders, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, leader of opposition Tejaswi Yadav, and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, among many others, paid their last respect to Paswan.

This report from IANS has been edited